How many different calibers was this rifle produced in?
Edit: I since found a table on the internet explaining this.
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How many different calibers was this rifle produced in?
Edit: I since found a table on the internet explaining this.
I have six different ones and still not close to having them all!! :p
Just going off memory here, so feel free to add anything I've missed.
.22 Savage Hi-Power
.25-35 Win. (VERY RARE)
.22-250 Rem (VERY RARE)
.243 Win.
.250-3000 Savage
7mm-08 Rem (VERY RARE)
.284 Win (Fairly Rare)
.30-30 Win.
.300 Savage
.303 Savage
.308 Win.
.32-40 Win. (VERY RARE)
.358 Win. (VERY RARE)
.38-55 Win. (VERY RARE)
.375 Winchester (Fairly Rare)
LOVE your avatar!!
Are photographs available with the various caliber markings? To better verify legitimacy?
I don’t know if Savage 1899s are monkeyed with much, as seems to be the case with Winchesters and Colts?
Best source for pictures would be to get a copy of David Royal's book.
But really, if in doubt, just google up others of the same cartridge. Googling "Savage 1899 32-40" and look at images and I find this pretty quick.
https://www.merzantiques.com/product...akedown-rifle/
https://www.merzantiques.com/wp-cont...4-1024x576.jpg
I did manage to acquire a Model 1899 in .32-40 over the weekend, with a tang sight.
Is it worth it to get a factory letter?
These are nice rifles, a competitor to Winchester “back in the day”, and so much more affordable than a Winchester today.
Nice score!! Very rare chambering and hard to find. Discontinued in about 1917 along with the .25-35 and 38-55! Brass and ammo is hard/darn near impossible to find. You can reform .30-30 brass, they work fine just wind up a little short. .38-55 cases are a pita to reform, a lot of the cases wrinkle and/or split when fired!
So how many do you think they made in .32-40 originally?Quote:
Originally Posted by Big Al1
I actually bought it because I HAVE rounds I had loaded for a Winchester 1894 carbine I since have sold. It was frustrating for me as I bought that carbine from a dealer I trust sight unseen and immediately recognized the wood was refinished. And then despite several different bullet weights and loads/powders, there was ZERO accuracy. I was able to offload that dud for $100 more than I paid for it. I bought this Savage 1899 short rifle (which is cool) for less than I had into the Winchester plus it’s in much better condition and comes with a tang sight as well. That alone is $150 to possibly $250 these days.
Hope this one shoots for you! Have an 1894 in .32-40 that is driving me nuts trying to get it to shoot! IMHO Marlins and Savages are much better rifles!! I just got an early 99 take down in .250-3000, and it came with a Marbles tang sight! I put tangs sights on most of my lever guns, better for old eyes that the old buck horns!!
Hard to tell how many were made in .32-40. I'll research it a bit!!
Where can you find this data? Also for .38-55? I don’t have one in .38-55, but that’s a goal.
I looked in several of my books but no luck finding total built, closest I could come was "not many"!! I have a .38-55 and a 25-35, no luck so far finding a .32-40. I found the .38-55 TD in Superior Wis. Got it for $400!! Shop owner said he couldn't sell guns if you can't buy the ammo at Walmart!! Good for me! :cool:
My guess is the .32-40 is less common than the .38-55. But I don’t have the latter.Quote:
Originally Posted by Big Al1
My source: https://milestoneauctions.hibid.com/...age+rare+short
Of the three, I'd say it's the least common!
I just came from the gun show in Cottonwood, AZ where a dealer had an 1899 in 38-55 with the half-octagon barrel. It was in excellent shape and appeared to be all-original and unmodified. He was asking $2700, and didn’t really want to sell it. He graciously allowed me to fondle it. It will be available tomorrow if you want to buy a plane ticket.
There's no firm numbers for how many were sold in various cartridges. Somebody would have to go through 15 years of factory ledgers for 150,000 guns to count them up.
I think the early cartridges (pre-WWI) go something like in this order of commonality:
303 Savage
30-30
250-3000
22HP
25-35
32-40
38-55
Just my take having watched sales for 15 years. Others think the 32-40 and 38-55 should be reversed.
Bit funny the 250-3000 being way up there since it was only sold for 3 of the pre-WWI years, but they show up for sale often enough.
From David Royal, author of A Collector’s Guide to the Savage 99 Rifle and its Predecessors, the Model 1895 and 1899
”We don't have a total figure on the Winchester calibers. There appear to be fewer 32-40's than 38-55's or 25-35's. That's the best we can come up with.”
And yet the 38-55 was by far the hardest one for me to find, had a couple 32-40's and 25-35's before my first 38-55. Never taking a 38-55 to display at Tulsa again, either.. "You sure you won't sell that? Come on, name a price.". Dang vultures. :p